Orchard hospital, nr Dartford built by Metropolitan Asylums Board as temporary fever hospital in 1901-2 (architects A & C Harston), sister hospital of Joyce Green (TQ 57 NW 45) and Long Reach (TQ 57 NW 83). It provided 800 beds in two rows of single storey ward huts on N-S axis linked by covered ways. Admin block at W end, female staff at N end, male staff to S with isolation wards. Wood huts with corrugated roofs. Built as epidiemic smallpox hospital, not used till WW1 when it became the 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital and again in WW2 when it was used to house nurses evacuated from London and under the Emergency Medical Scheme for air raid casualties and wounded form Dunkirk. Late in war it was almost entirely destoryed by incendiary and V-1 flying bombs. The remaining huts were adapted for farm use. It was linked to the Thames and the other "River Hospitals" by a tramway (TQ 57 NW 102)(1) Farm building situated in SE corner of site, now (1993) disused, c12 small brick buildings also standing and areas of compacted gravel surfaces visible marking the location of former ward blocks. A long backfilled open drain-like structure observed on the W edge of site, poss connecting to the farm buildings (2). Site photographs (3-18).

Orchard Military Convalescent Hospital (1200 beds) used as Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) Hospital from May 1915 - handed over to Australian military authorities in Aug 1916.

Hazel Basford, 2004, Kent VAD - the work of voluntary aid detachments in Kent during the first World War (Unpublished document). SKE31644.

<1> RCHME, 1993, Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England: Compilation of Kent Hospitals Record Sheets, RCHME Report 1994 (Unpublished document). SKE6841.

<2> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, MOLAS 1993 Uni of Greenwich N Dartford Campus Assesment (desk based) (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<3> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9642.

<4> 1946, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9643.

<5> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9685.

<6> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9688.

<7> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9712.

<8> 1945, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9713.

<9> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9766.

<10> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9767.

<11> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9770.

<12> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9771.

<13> 1947, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX9781.

<14> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10032.

<15> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10044.

<16> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10049.

<17> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10051.

<18> 1944, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10054.